Boy Wonder
by drinkingteawithhellhounds
Summary: A circus after dark is creepy enough, but an abandoned circus owned by a psychotic clown? That's just too much.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I will say this now: THIS ISN'T SLASH!**

**If I do badly just say, reviews are my friends.**

**DISCLAIMER: Say what now? I don't own DC Comics?**

Boy Wonder  
Chapter 1: Missing Boy Wonder, Check.

The poster flapped in the telltale breeze that meant Kid Flash had been there only seconds before, and Artemis reached out and pulled the fluttering paper off of the wooden pillar, one of many that littered the area,

"A circus after dark is creepy enough, but an abandoned circus owned by a psychotic clown? That's just too much." She muttered,

The was a gentle whoosh as Kid Flash returned; half a dozen posters, similar to the one Artemis had found, gathered in his arms; "A creepy circus, check, a psychotic clown, check; and take a look at these,"

Aqualad, Miss Martian and Superboy each took a poster and Artemis straightened out the one she was holding; the paper was yellowed and torn in places, but it was clearly an advert, across the top were the words; HALEY'S CIRCUS PRESENTS: THE FLYING GRAYSONS.

There was an image of three people doing high wire stunts in a large circus tent; across the bottom was a second slogan; FEATURING RICHARD; THE BOY WONDER.

Artemis couldn't help but smile slightly, and began to reel off the situation in her head:

_Creepy circus, check,_

The others were making a plan, Artemis knew she should join in, but continued mentally assessing the situation;

_Psychotic clown, check,_

Aqualad stood, brushing off his uniform; "Is everyone clear?"

"Yeah, but right now," Everyone turned to look at Kid Flash who was glancing around as though he'd lost something, "Has anyone seen Robin?"

Artemis rolled her eyes;

_Missing Boy Wonder, check._

**Reviews? Pretty Please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: There are two things I must say:**

**Number One: I am so sorry I took so long to wrote this, I honestly have no excuse**

**And Number Two: Wowzers, over 500 hits, for one chapter? And 14 lovely reviews, everyone who read/reviewed/author or story alerted gets a load of virtual cookies for making me the happiest author on Fan Fiction.**

**And now this old thing;**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Young Justice, the Joker or most of the funny bits, like that joke at the end, they belong to DC, as does the lovely page of Joker quotes I found, so anyways...**

Boy Wonder  
Chapter Two: If I Weren't Crazy I'd Be Insane

Artemis snorted, "Relax Wally, Robin probably did that disappearing act and wound up getting lost,"

"Even so we should still find him," Aqualad said, "If the clown is here and Robin's on his own then he could be in serious danger, we should split up and find him;"

"I'll take the tent," Megan decided,

"Superboy and I will go to the old animal and performers' facilities," Aqualad said,

"That leaves me and Kid Mouth here with the Horror Hotel and hall of mirrors, right?"

Artemis frowned as Kaldur nodded, "M'gann, link us up,"

The Atlantean looked to the Martian, who nodded; there was a slight jolt as the teams' minds connected; the five of them set off, and Megan's voice seemed to echo around the insides of their skulls;

'_Can everyone hear me?'_

'_Yeah,'_ came Superboy's growling telepathic response,

'_As always,'_ Wally replied,

'_That's a positive Miss M,'_ Artemis confirmed,

'_Robin, check in,' _Aqualad said, there was nothing,

Kid Flash stopped, and thought hard; '_Hello, Rob? Anyone? Hellooo!'_

'_He can't hear you, genius,' _Artemis snapped, '_Not if he didn't reply to Kaldur.'_

'_Says who?'_ Wally snapped back,

'_M'gann can you locate Robin?' _Aqualad said,

There was a pause, in which all of the teens seemed to freeze; ten seconds, eleven seconds, then;

'_I can't make contact! I'm sorry, I tried but it's like he isn't there.'_

Even in thought the panic in Megan's voice was clear,

'_And what does that mean?' _Wally asked, '_When you can't make telepathic contact?'_

Megan paused for thought; '_Well, they are either outside my mental range, they have no consciousness or they are dead.'_

'_Let's try and rule out curtain number three.'_ Artemis suggested,

'_I agree,'_ Aqualad said, _'For now, we search for both Robin and the clown,'_

'_He's not in the old animal quarters,'_ Superboy said, _'I'd be able to see him,'_

'_I can't see anyone in here either,' _came Miss Martian's reply from the circus tent,

Artemis looked around the darkened hall of mirrors, nothing, she was about to report her non-existent findings when there was a muffled crash, immediately the archer was on high alert, drawing her bow and fitting an arrow within seconds of her hearing the noise, there was a gentle whoosh as Kid Flash skidded to a halt next to her,

"Did you see something?" he whispered,

Artemis shook her head, "Heard something," she muttered,

The pair walked on in silence for several minutes, "Wally, are you scared?"

The speedster stopped in his tracks, "Who? Me? Nah, why would I be? I mean it's only a dumb old clown who is armed with marbles and flowers, how scary can it be? And really why-"

"Wally." Artemis interrupted her companion's chatter, "Are you scared?"

"I- Yeah, I am, Robin's the only guy who knew how to fight this wacko and now he's gone and vanished off the radar," this time the Kid's chatter actually made sense, "What about you?"

Artemis nodded, "Anyone with a brain in their head is scared of this guy, he taints everything he touches and quite possibly has leverage against the league now Robin's out of the picture." Artemis couldn't help but shiver slightly, "If I wasn't scared I'd be a fool."

A mirror in front of them toppled with a crash and they yelled out in shock and fear, Artemis brought up her bow; "Who's there?"

There was no reply, only a distinct shadowy figure turn and sprint away, Kid Flash whisked off after him, leaving Artemis standing alone, arrow poised for firing, "Hello?"

Her voice echoed around the building as Kid Flash sped back, shaking his head, "Nothing, no-one was there,"

Artemis growled and slammed her fist into the nearest mirror, causing it to shatter, "This place! It's driving me crazy,"

There was a high pitched whistling and a cackling, lilting voice streamed through dozens of concealed speakers; "Now, now Fartemis; you're not going crazy,"

"No, crazy would be you," Artemis shot back,

"Oh please, it's one of my best features! If I wasn't crazy I wouldn't be anywhere near as brilliant!" Joker giggled,

Kid Flash snorted, "You're insane if you think you're going to get away with this,"

"Really Flash-Boy, I'm offended, I'll have you know that I am not insane..."

Kid Flash ignored the clown's mistake in his name with a smirk, "Yeah, _right,_"

"...I am simply crazy; there is really a huge difference,"

It was then that Artemis noticed a hissing sound, even as the Joker's insane cackling filled her ears she and Kid Flash fell to the floor with a thud.

Oo0oO

Miss Martian felt a small jolt as Kid Flash and Artemis' minds disconnected, she put a hand to her temple and concentrated, nothing,

'_Aqualad, Superboy.'_

'_We're here M'gann, what's wrong?'_ Kaldur's voice echoed reassuringly around her mind,

'_Kid Flash and Artemis have disconnected, I'm worried something may have happened,'_ Miss Martian

'_Stay there, we'll come over and regroup,' _Kaldur said,

Miss Martian turned midair, gazing around the large and mostly empty red and white tent; clearly abandoned for at least five years, all the spectators stands were still in place, there was still straw strewn across the floor and a trapeze swung gently above her in a gentle breeze seeping in through tears in the garish tarp. Miss Martian noticed a second trapeze lying on the floor below her; she landed and bent over to have a closer look, the wood looked old, but not rotten, the wires it had previously hung from were twisted, like it had been dropped carelessly once it had broken, Megan picked it up, there was a harsh screeching as maniacal laughter filled the tent;

"Ladies and gentlemen if I may direct your attention to the centre ring; you will see Miss Space-Invader, clutching the trapeze that led two fully trained professionals to their deaths,"

Megan dropped the trapeze in horror, "What do you mean Joker?"

She rose into the air, spinning in an attempt to locate the source of the deranged clown's voice,

"Tut, tut Marshy you really should do your research, I do, I looked up why this place closed down five years ago, the murder of the star act, the orphaning of their eight year old son and, of course, a fully stocked carnival chock-a-block full of stuff for me to use."

"Use for what?" Megan demanded,

"Nothing! Now aren't I just good enough to eat?"

"That makes no sense clown,"

"I know, do you want to hear a joke?"

the question distracted Megan, "No, I do not."

"Shame, I've got a really good one,"

Megan noticed a sight hissing sound as the Joker continued; "Two guys are in a lunatic asylum and one night they decide they don't like it there anymore..."

"What is the point of this Joker?" Megan asked, sinking to the ground,

"Tch, tch, let me finish Moonbeam, now as I was saying... they don't like it in the loony bin so they decide to break out! Just like that and they're on the roof and there's this one little gap between the asylum roof and freedom and one guy, he jumps it no problem, but the other... well he chickens out. So then, the first guy has an idea...He says 'Hey! I have my flashlight with me! I'll shine it across the gap and you can walk along the beam and join me!'"

Megan sank to her knees, coughing,

"But the second guy shakes his head and says, well he says..."

Megan felt her head hit the floor as the joke drew to an end,

"'What, do you think I'm crazy? You'll turn of the light when I'm halfway across!'"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Man writers block stinks, as does the internet when it doesn't work.**

**Anyway, as per request there is a bit of Robin in this chapter, and for once I actually own what the Joker says, no jokes stolen from DC.**

**But I don't own YJ :'( If I did the next episode would be now and not in June**

**{EDIT: This is a slightly reworked version of Chapter 3, sorry for the bump.}**

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Aqualad felt the mental link go dead, and locked eyes with his remaining teammate, who shook his head, indicating that he too had no explanation.

"We need to keep moving," Aqualad whispered, his voice betraying only the slightest hint of panic,

There was suddenly a high pitched whistle and the two boys buckled, hands clamed hard over their ears, there was a lilting cackle as the shriek died out,

"Well, looksie, the prize goes to Stupid-boy and Aqua-Loser!"

Superboy straightened up and turned on the spot, taking in every detail of the narrow, locker-filled corridor.

"Well, this bit looks like a school so I'll fit with the theme shall I?" The Joker said, neither the kryptonian nor the Atlantean responded,

"Oh, strong and silent types are we? Well I'll do the talking then. Once upon a time there was an alien planet..."

There was a pause as the clown gathered his thoughts, "Whopsie, that's Superman, never mind with the school thing,"

Aqualad signalled to Superboy to keep looking for any sign of their missing teammates and the clown carried on through the speakers; "You know I'll cut straight to the cheese, I was hoping Boy Blunder could help me out, but he doesn't appear to be present for class today," Joker interrupted himself with a giggle, "Whadda you know? I did find a school pun! Anyway, back on topic, I want to talk with Batsy and within the next two hours, thirty-four minutes, mind you, tarrah!"

The speakers went dead.

Aqualad looked to Superboy, "Anything?" the Atlantean asked,

The clone shook his head, "Nothing on Robin, but the lockers are made from lead, so I can't see into them,"

"We look the old-fashioned way then," Aqualad decided, moving over to a locker labelled 'Jacques' and opening it,

Inside was a mime's outfit with face paints, and a cylinder of helium and a box of balloons and string, Superboy opened a second one labelled 'Harry' and found several cans of hairspray and a very large pair of shoes,

"Why are we even looking in these?" Superboy asked, opening another locker, labelled 'Elinore's feed' in this one there were a dozen empty sacks marked 'elephant feed', "It's not like Robin could hide in one of these,"

Aqualad thought while he search a locker for 'Joey' and found a flashlight and a set of rusted keys, Superboy had, by the time he got an answer, search several lockers full of weights for 'Sampson Muscles' and moved on to 'Wilhelm's' locker,

"Robin may have left us a clue," Aqualad finally answered as he opened a locker marked 'John & Mary Grayson',

Superboy snorted but said nothing as he opened the locker previously belonging to 'Pedro', Aqualad too fell silent as he closed the locker for the Grayson's and reached his last locker, he read the name "Richard Grayson" He murmured the name out loud, remembering the posters they'd found littering the grounds. The locker creaked slightly as he opened it, but once again nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry, sorry, sorry. I feel ike a total ass but hey... I've got a chapter now! :D**

**Oh and I edited Chapter 3, you may want to re-read that.**

**DISCLAIMER: Now, however long from when I last said it... I do not own Young Justice. I do own an '82 Spanish edition of Superman, and I can read it :)**

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Joker leant back in his chair, his trademark maniacal grin plastered across his chalk white face as he watched the two remaining junior heroes search through the sideshow booths, their looks of increasing worry barely visible on the grainy, black and white screen. The clown turned to the next screen, this one displaying the main tent, where Artemis, Kid Flash and Miss Martian were tied, upside down, to the tightrope.

Joker giggled slightly as the last two heroes collapsed and were dragged away by his goons,

"Now all that's left of the sidekick squad is Bird Boy," he mused, "I wonder where he got to,"

The maniac's thoughts were sliced apart by a bold tap-tap at the door;

"Knock, knock, now puddin'!" Harley Quinn announced in her usual falsetto, "You'll never guess who decided to pop over for din-dins!"

Joker swivelled in his chair, "Now pooh, you know I'm busy," then added in an undertone, "Busy finding bird boy before he squeals on us to the bat,"

His red and black clad assistant heard this added note and a smug grin unfolded itself across her black-painted lips, "Well, puddin' you'll love the lil' prezzie I gotcha,"

Interest piqued the Joker stood and, bouncing like a child on Christmas, he started badgering his partner, "What is it? Lemme see! Lemme see!"

Harley's smile grew wider as she cleared her throat and called for one of her many goons, "Randall!"

A voice, probably Randall's, became audible, "You brat, wait 'till I get my hands on you I'm gonna,"

But an adolescent voice answered, "Tch, like you could have even touched me without those things you call pets,"

Harley lost it, "He did not just insult our babies!" Out she stomped and seconds later she was back, dragging a sorry looking Randall by the ear and a disgruntled, trussed-up-like-a-thanks-giving-turkey Robin by the cape.

Joker's insane grin widened, "Bird Boy!" he exclaimed, "How nice of you to drop by! And you brought some friends too! Now I have enough material to blackmail the whole league!"

Robin arched an invisible eyebrow, "Really? That's all you're interested in? I'm whelmed,"

Joker stepped forward and leaned over so he was on eye level with Robin, "Whelmed. Verb, the neutral form of under or overwhelmed. Think that yourself Bird Boy?"

"Clearly not," Robin said, "What about astrous?"

Joker smacked his lips, "Opposite form of disastrous (heavy on the dis), everything running smoothly and according to plan." Joker laughed, "Your day isn't astrous is it boy?"


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Aww man. No updates for four/five months.**

**I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.**

**But hey, I'm back now and I'm nearly done with this story. Nearly, one more chapter after this, maybe two. :)**

* * *

The first thing Kid Flash registered when he woke up was the smell of what seemed to be burning elephants, not that he'd ever smelt one up close.

"Tch, 'bout time someone woke up," a familiar voice said,

"R-Rob?" Kid Flash slurred,

"Hello, glad to see your almighty brain is still working," the boy wonder said,

There were various other groans from either side of them as the rest of the team woke up. Artemis yelled something in another language, probably a curse, because, right beneath them, where the ring master would stand in any normal circus tent, was a massive vat of chemicals.

"Courtesy of ACE Chemicals, boys and girls,"

Joker had appeared, off to one side and was watching with some interest as the teens squirmed, making the line they were suspended on sway slightly. The Joker cackled,

"Naughty kiddies, Uncle J's gonna have to punish you,"

The line snapped and they plunged towards the chemicals, then they felt a snag, the six looked up and saw a red headed young woman tug the loose end of the line up and knot it around a supporting post.

"What. The. Hell. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" she panted through gritted teeth, "Going up against the clown without back up?"

Robin climbed up on to the platform, muttering something incoherent, as he pulled Kid Flash and the girl pulled Artemis up, then moving on to the rest of the team.

Then the team finally got a good look at their rescuer, and so did the Joker.

"Brat-Girl! He called, like she was his long-lost best friend, "Where's daddy bats then hmm? Don't tell me he's not completely _pressed _that Robby-pooh's down here all alone?"

Batgirl turned to Robin and raised an eyebrow, "Pressed?"

Robin shrugged, "Opposite of depressed, I suppose, logic follows through that if deconstruct is the opposite on construct then pressed is the opposite of depressed,"

Batgirls mouth twitched, "Think of that yourself did you?"

Robin nodded, and turned back to Joker, who had reached the opposite platform by that time, and was standing alongside Harley Quinn, grinning as per usual,

"If your're planning on going after us forget it, the fumes from those chemicals disable your superpowers and there's nothing for your grapples to latch on to! The only way over is using that trapeze, and even then, you need to throw a quad to make the jump."

Artemis gritted her teeth, "So?"

"Tut, tut Arty-Farty. You need to read up on you circus history, the quadruple somersault was the signature move of the stars of this old circus, then some mob boss cut the lines, no-one in the world can do the quad, not since the flying Graysons were done in by old Tony Zucco."

"Here," Harley Quinn interrupted, "Were ol' Tony your firs' collar, Bird Boy,"

Robin didn't answer, but everyone could tell the clown-faced duo had struck a nerve, the teen reached for the trapeze bar but Aqualad seized his wrist,

"Robin," he said, firmly, "You know the clown, you know he's never honest,"

"That's the thing," Robin said calmly, "He's always honest,"

Miss Martian drifted over to the teen, who still had one hand resting on the bar, "But Robin, even so, you know no-one can make that jump,"

Robin smirked, "Try me,"

Before anyone could stop him the bird leapt, and, before anyone could so much as cry out he turned.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

The final flip ended with a well aimed kick to the Joker's face that sent him straight out cold.

Harley began to back away, "Now, now, sweetie, no need to get all angry,"

Robin shrugged and swept her legs out from under her; before the harlequin could recover she was handcuffed.

Robin activated his communicator; "Robin to Batman, we're gonna need a pick up, the bio-hazard guys, the cops and a therapist."

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**Reviewers get a virtual cookie. :) :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I'm afraid, dear readers, that this is the end. Boy Wonder is now officially finished and I'd like to tahank every single one of you who reviewed, favorited and added my story to their alerts. It quite honestly means the world to me.**

* * *

After the circus incident it was sometime before the team saw Robin again. And the cave was unusually quiet without the resident bird's usual butchery of the English language, video game tournaments with Superboy and his poking fun at Artemis and Wally.

But, one day, or night as was actually, after a particularly hard mission involving the HIVE, the world's deadliest assassin and six tonnes of fireworks, the team walked in to hear the sounds of a sparring match coming from the training room.

Curious, the five teens approached the room. When they got there they saw two people, Robin and a red-headed girl, bringing their match to a close.

Robin swept the girl's legs out from under her and cackled in triumph.

"Batgirl. Fail." The computer's mundane voice rang out across the room.

The team moved towards the pair, then it slowly dawned on them that something was missing,

"Robin..." Miss Martian looked confused,

The teen wonder spun around, "Hey guys,"

Artemis blinked very rapidly, "Wow,"

Robin's eyes were blue, and twinkled cheerfully as he watched his team's confusion; "You have no idea what I did to persuade Batman to let me tell you my ID,"

Superboy raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"He promised to clean the Batmobiles for a month," Batgirl said, "All the Batmobile's, including the jet, sub, and bikes."

Robin smirked, "So worth it to see the looks on you faces, and," he turned to Batgirl, "Now you know what 'that' was about,"

Artemis looked annoyed, "Does this mean you can quit bugging me now, Grayson?"

"Uh, no," Robin looked amused, "Not until you explain why you go to school in Gotham, instead of Star where your uncle Green Arrow lives,"

Artemis opened her mouth, but Robin interrupted, "Not to me, of course, I already know,"

Artemis found her tongue, "And you still revealed your ID?"

Robin shrugged, "I trust you guys, nothing more or less to it,"

Superboy still looked a bit confused, "So... what is your name?"

Robin smirked and flipped onto his hands, "My name is Dick Grayson," he said, "And it's very nice to meet you."

-Fin-

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**AN: And that is that...**

**Reviews are always appriciated, and don't worry, I'm still publishing oneshots, and I'll be writing a multichapter fic which will hopefully start to go up some time between now and the New Year.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed etc and thanks to SakuraTenshi3602 who has been beta reading for my other stories and really saved me time so I could concentrate on finishing this.**

**Until next time,**

**-Silver**


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